Conveyors are known, for the temporary storage and movement of objects in order to make them available to an operator so that they can be selectively picked up in a desired position. One example of such conveyors is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,184,042.
In particular, conveyors are known for transferring objects, such as for example articles of clothing, comprising a support frame on which a guide is mounted that defines a closed path inside which, or on which, a mobile support unit is made to slide.
The support unit is in a closed ring and is suitable to transport in suspension the objects that are disposed attached thereon.
One type of closed-ring conveyor is known in which the mobile support unit comprises a flexible continuous belt with a closed conformation that extends for the same length as the path defined by the guide. The flexible continuous belt is provided along one side with a plurality of sliding means that allow to support the belt and allow it to slide along the guide by means of drive members.
The flexibility of the belt allows it to perform travels that are curved with respect to its thickness, that is, transverse with respect to its substantially flat faces.
The deformability of the flexible belt is such that it is possible, within certain limits, to oblige the belt to make slanting curves, that is, curves that do not lie on a single plane.
A plurality of through eyelets are made in the thickness of the continuous belt, according to a determinate pitch, in order to attach hooks, support elements or directly objects that are to be transported.
One disadvantage of this known conveyor is that the continuous flexible belt does not allow curves according to a plane that is orthogonal to its thickness, that is, curves of the guides that extend parallel to the flat surfaces of the belt.
A conveyor is also known, provided with a guide defining a path with rectilinear segments and curved segments, and in which the curved segments lie only on one plane. The guide is therefore provided with a plurality of rectilinear and curved segments that are coupled with each other according to desired installation requirements.
The mobile support unit, which is made to slide in the guide, is provided with a plurality of support bodies reciprocally coupled and pivoted to each other, which are moved along the guide by means of the action of one or more electric motors.
Each of the support bodies has an elongated shape, and comprises sliding elements to allow sliding along the guide, and a support element to allow to support one or more objects.
Each support element comprises a shaped plate provided with a plurality of through eyelets to attach and anchor the objects.
The sliding elements are associated to the plate in proximity to an external perimeter edge thereof, and are provided with an anchoring base, for the reciprocal anchoring of the sliding elements to the plate, and with a plurality of rollers which are pivoted idly to the anchoring base and are suitable to slide on the guide.
Each of the anchoring bases is provided, on two opposite sides, with hinging means to allow the reciprocal pivoting of several sliding elements.
The hinging means allow the reciprocal hinging both with respect to axes tangent to the path of the guide, and also with respect to axes orthogonal thereto.
One disadvantage connected to the configuration of the hinging means is that the support bodies cannot perform slanting curves but can only follow a path with segments of curve lying only on one plane.
Another disadvantage is the bulk and high position with respect to the plates of the pivoting means, which limit the overall delivery capacity of the conveyor, given that the plates, to prevent a scissor effect on the objects that are associated with them, must be less long than the anchoring base.
In order to reduce the radius of curvature of the guide, the length of each support body must be reduced, and hence the overall number of support bodies must be increased. Furthermore, the pivoting means are subjected to wear, which causes a variation in the overall length of the support unit which causes problems of malfunctioning of the whole conveyor with possible dangerous conditions for the users.
Another disadvantage concerns the lack of stable connection between the support bodies, and this can lead to an uneven movement, which could affect the sliding and level of wear of the guide and of the sliding elements.
Another disadvantage is due to the constructional complexity of the parts that make up the support unit, and in particular the pivoting means.
One purpose of the present invention is to obtain a support unit for a conveyor of objects that allows to adapt the configuration of the latter to the particular requirements of installation space and therefore also allows to obtain differences in height, on vertical or subvertical planes, in limited spaces, and also according to slanting curves.
Another purpose of the present invention is to obtain a support unit that is simple and economical.
Another purpose of the present invention is to obtain a support unit that is stable, safe and resistant to stresses.
Another purpose of the present invention is to obtain a support unit that reduces the level of wear of the guide and the sliding elements.
The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.